Carphone Warehouse: We're Not Holding Back Any HP TouchPad Stock

Carphone Warehouse confirmed to us that it is not holding back any stock of the HP TouchPad tablet in a conversation we had earlier with someone at the company.

As for every other consumer electronics retailer that sold the HP TouchPad at this "attractive price", CPW and Best Buy did experience a high volume of orders for the tablet and were obliged to remove it from the website, presumably to curtail damage as other customers failed to get their orders through.

The retailer however promised that "those customers who placed an order with us before the device was removed" will "all receive the TouchPad at the price they requested" and assured that CPW had not "held back any stock of the TouchPad as part of a strategic move to drive revenues on future promotions."

It is interesting to note that giving away a free tablet with a mobile contract is not something uncommon. "Free" tablets, alongside gaming consoles, laptops, televisions, cashback and even home appliances and hair straighteners, are often offered to tie customers to lengthy and often expensive mobile contracts.

Mobiles.co.uk, a subsidiary of Carphone Warehouse, has been giving out the TouchPad alongside the HTC Flyer and the Asus Transformer on selected mobile contracts.

While such schemes may end up to be more expensive altogether, they are an easy way for a customer to get hold of a high value item, as the monthly contract acts as an affordable loan payment.